FIS News
Athlete of the Week: Magnus Moan (NOR)
„Le Roi is back“, as the French announcer at Chaux-Neuve repeated throughout the weekend - and really, in Chaux-Neuve, Magnus Moan is king. Beloved by the huge crowd of enthusiastic spectators, Moan is often at his best at the French venue. Out of his 23 World Cup victories, he took four in Chaux-Neuve, along with a number of podium places and Top 3 results in the different team formats.
His third place and the victory last weekend were not only „nice to have“ for the Norwegian but also an important step forward in terms of the impending season highlights, the TRIPLE and the World Championships in Falun. Not only did Moan return to the top of the podium after a difficult season start with a stress fracture of his heel bone right before the season and two weekends falling victim to illnesses in Ruka and Ramsau am Dachstein, he also crossed the mark of 50 career podium results with his third rank in Saturday’s Individual Gundersen result.
His third place and the victory last weekend were not only „nice to have“ for the Norwegian but also an important step forward in terms of the impending season highlights, the TRIPLE and the World Championships in Falun. Not only did Moan return to the top of the podium after a difficult season start with a stress fracture of his heel bone right before the season and two weekends falling victim to illnesses in Ruka and Ramsau am Dachstein, he also crossed the mark of 50 career podium results with his third rank in Saturday’s Individual Gundersen result.
An incredibly strong cross-country race secured his 23rd career win in Sunday’s Team Sprint turned Individual Gundersen event and puts Moan on the fifth position in the discipline’s all-time best list, a position he shares with Austrian legend Felix Gottwald. Moan is now only 3 victories away from surpassing Bjarte Engen Vik as the most successful Norwegian in Nordic Combined.
„The cross-country part today was one of the Top 5 races in my entire career. It was a really really strong race, I am really satisfied“, Moan beamed after Sunday’s competition and basking in the attentions of the adoring crowds. But bearing witness to the fact that the team spirit in the Norwegian team is strong these days, the 31-year old was especially happy to share the podium with his namesake and „good friend“ Magnus Krog as well as Berni Gruber from Austria. In typical Magnus Moan fashion, he celebrated this fact with a selfie from the top of the podium to the delight of spectators and media. With his other favourite venue of Seefeld and the TRIPLE coming right up next weekend, the winter suddenly looks bright for „The King.“
„The cross-country part today was one of the Top 5 races in my entire career. It was a really really strong race, I am really satisfied“, Moan beamed after Sunday’s competition and basking in the attentions of the adoring crowds. But bearing witness to the fact that the team spirit in the Norwegian team is strong these days, the 31-year old was especially happy to share the podium with his namesake and „good friend“ Magnus Krog as well as Berni Gruber from Austria. In typical Magnus Moan fashion, he celebrated this fact with a selfie from the top of the podium to the delight of spectators and media. With his other favourite venue of Seefeld and the TRIPLE coming right up next weekend, the winter suddenly looks bright for „The King.“
Source: fis-ski.com
